The path to a secure retirement is choosing the right retirement plan. We’ll help you along the way! Did you know... that retirement can last for 30 years or more? you may need up to 80% of your current annual income to retire comfortably? the average monthly benefit paid by the Social Security Administration is $1,200? Why should you set up a retirement plan, and what are some of the benefits? A retirement plan has lots of benefits for you, your business and your employees. Retirement plans allow you to invest now for financial security when you and your employees retire. As a bonus, you and your employees get significant tax advantages and other incentives. Business benefits Employer contributions are tax-deductible. Assets in the plan grow tax-free. Plan options are flexible. Tax credits and other benefits for starting a plan may help reduce costs. Retirement plans can attract and keep better employees, which reduces new employee training costs. Employee benefits Employee contributions can reduce current taxable income. Contributions and investment gains are not taxed until distributed. Contributions are easy to make through payroll deductions. Interest accrues over time, which allows small, regular contributions to grow to significant retirement savings. Retirement assets can be carried from one employer to another. The saver's credit may be available to some employees. Employees can improve financial security in retirement. Future retirement savings value Monthly Savings, 6% 5 Years 15 Years 20 Years $50 $3,506 $14,614 $23,218 $200 $14,024 $58,455 $92,870 $500 $35,059 $146,136 $232,176 What are the first steps to learning about and setting up a retirement plan? A good place to start is by contacting a tax professional familiar with retirement plans or a financial institution that offers retirement plans. Helpful reading materials and IRS websites are listed at the end of this page. What are the stages of sponsoring a retirement plan? Sponsoring a retirement plan has four stages: Choosing, Establishing, Operating, and Terminating the plan. Choosing There are many different retirement plans you can choose to adopt. You select a plan by: Considering how much money you will need in retirement, and Learning about the types of tax-qualified retirement plans that will help you save for your and your employees’ retirement. Establishing You take the necessary steps to put your plan in place. Depending on the type of plan you choose, the administrative steps may include: adopting a written plan; arranging a trust for the plan’s assets; notifying eligible employees about the terms of the plan; and creating a recordkeeping system. Operating You want to operate your retirement plan so that the assets in the plan continue to grow and the tax-benefits of the plan are preserved. The ongoing steps you need to take to operate your plan may vary depending on the type of plan you establish. Your basic steps will include: covering eligible employees; making contributions; keeping the plan up-to-date with retirement plan laws; managing the plan assets; providing information to employees participating in the plan; and distributing benefits. Terminating When your plan no longer suits your business, you will close out the plan and notify the appropriate parties. You may want to discuss these four stages with a tax professional familiar with retirement plans or a financial institution that offers retirement plans. What resources are available on retirement plans? Types of Plans Starting and maintaining specific types of retirement plans Retirement Plans Video Benefits of starting a retirement plan Publication 560, Retirement Plans for Small Business (SEP, SIMPLE, and Qualified Plans) PDF Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) PDF Publication 3998, Choosing a Retirement Solution for Your Small Business PDF Publication 4118, Lots of Benefits when you set up an employee retirement plan PDF Publication 4222, 401(k) Plans for Small Businesses PDF Publication 4333, SEP Retirement Plans for Small Businesses PDF Publication 4334, SIMPLE IRA Plans for Small Businesses PDF Publication 4587, Payroll Deduction IRAs for Small Businesses PDF